Liver and Detoxification System

The liver and gallbladder form the core of the body’s detoxification and metabolic system. The liver filters, transforms, and eliminates toxins, regulates hormones, stores nutrients, manages blood chemistry, and produces bile. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, releasing it to emulsify fats and support digestion. Together, they detoxify metabolic waste, environmental toxins, hormones, and medications while maintaining stable internal chemistry and nutrient balance.
Liver
- Located behind the rib cage, divided into right and left lobes
- Lobes connected by the falciform ligament
- Right lobe → detoxifies fat-soluble toxins (Phase I)
- Left lobe → detoxifies water-soluble toxins (Phase II)
- Eliminates via urine, bile, stool
- Vascular + duct structures:
- Hepatic vein
- Aorta
- Central vein system
- Right and left hepatic arteries
- Portal vein
- Branch of hepatic artery
- Branch of bile duct
- Branch of portal vein (distributing vein)
- Right & left hepatic ducts
- Portal triad (bile duct, hepatic artery, portal vein)
Gallbladder
- Tucked under the liver
- Stores and concentrates bile
- Anatomy:
- Right and left hepatic ducts
- Cystic duct
- Neck, body, and mucosal folds
- Common hepatic duct → common bile duct
- Common bile duct connects to pancreatic duct
Liver
- Located behind the rib cage, divided into right and left lobes
- Lobes connected by the falciform ligament
- Right lobe → detoxifies fat-soluble toxins (Phase I)
- Left lobe → detoxifies water-soluble toxins (Phase II)
- Eliminates via urine, bile, stool
- Vascular + duct structures:
- Hepatic vein
- Aorta
- Central vein system
- Right and left hepatic arteries
- Portal vein
- Branch of hepatic artery
- Branch of bile duct
- Branch of portal vein (distributing vein)
- Right & left hepatic ducts
- Portal triad (bile duct, hepatic artery, portal vein)
Gallbladder
- Tucked under the liver
- Stores and concentrates bile
- Anatomy:
- Right and left hepatic ducts
- Cystic duct
- Neck, body, and mucosal folds
- Common hepatic duct → common bile duct
- Common bile duct connects to pancreatic duct